Win Now or Rebuild?

[Denny Crane]

An outsider's POV, if you don't mind.

The Blazers suffered a number of serious injuries last season. They came into that season with an embarrassment of riches (depth), and the team fought to remain competitive by trading that depth for guys who could fill in for the short term. The continued injury stream to Oden and Joel's inability to play so far has exposed those moves.

Seriously, the Blazers are starting a guy 36 years old and another who's 34.

Camby just isn't a prime time player anymore. He may be putting up decent rebounding stats, but he's really bad on defense except against guys who stand in the post. He's useless as a help defender anymore, and that's what made him good when he was young.

Przybilla is getting up there as well, he's 31 years old. 31 isn't so old that he is unlikely to contribute, and his game never really was such an athletic above the rim kind. He should still be a pretty good player, recovered from injury and all.

So the Blazers move Camby to the bench and start Joel again and all of a sudden the Blazers are a bit improved version of the team in years' past (minus Oden). You don't have that Blake guy that fans didn't really like, you have Miller who's an upgrade. Otherwise the starters are the same group that could realistically go on a tear and win 10 straight; they've done it before.

The Blazers are still very deep at the SG/SF positions, though a little small at SF beyond Batum.

I don't see a need to blow up the team, just a little retooling would go a long way. If the season is a lost one, take advantage of it by putting the ball back in Roy's hands and get the ball to Batum as much as possible so he can develop.

 

[HailBlazers]

An outsider's POV, if you don't mind.

Greatly Appreciated, these fans are going

Might as well Sell the team to Seattle while were busy blowing it up!

 

[Natebishop3]

An outsider's POV, if you don't mind.

The Blazers suffered a number of serious injuries last season. They came into that season with an embarrassment of riches (depth), and the team fought to remain competitive by trading that depth for guys who could fill in for the short term. The continued injury stream to Oden and Joel's inability to play so far has exposed those moves.

Seriously, the Blazers are starting a guy 36 years old and another who's 34.

Camby just isn't a prime time player anymore. He may be putting up decent rebounding stats, but he's really bad on defense except against guys who stand in the post. He's useless as a help defender anymore, and that's what made him good when he was young.

Przybilla is getting up there as well, he's 31 years old. 31 isn't so old that he is unlikely to contribute, and his game never really was such an athletic above the rim kind. He should still be a pretty good player, recovered from injury and all.

So the Blazers move Camby to the bench and start Joel again and all of a sudden the Blazers are a bit improved version of the team in years' past (minus Oden). You don't have that Blake guy that fans didn't really like, you have Miller who's an upgrade. Otherwise the starters are the same group that could realistically go on a tear and win 10 straight; they've done it before.

The Blazers are still very deep at the SG/SF positions, though a little small at SF beyond Batum.

I don't see a need to blow up the team, just a little retooling would go a long way. If the season is a lost one, take advantage of it by putting the ball back in Roy's hands and get the ball to Batum as much as possible so he can develop.

Everything you say is true, which is why I think we should be trading Joel, Camby, and Miller for some younger talent that will help for the next four or five years, instead of the next one or two years. If the Iggy trade was really on the table, I'd jump on that in a second.

 

[jlprk]

Camby just isn't a prime time player anymore. He may be putting up decent rebounding stats, but he's really bad on defense except against guys who stand in the post. He's useless as a help defender anymore, and that's what made him good when he was young.

That's right. When we first got Camby, I checked a Clipper board and they said that Camby is great at rebounding but overrated at defense. I think after all those injuries in his career, he has learned self-preservation, selectively choosing his moments of defense.

 

[Natebishop3]

That's right. When we first got Camby, I checked a Clipper board and they said that Camby is great at rebounding but overrated at defense. I think after all those injuries in his career, he has learned self-preservation, selectively choosing his moments of defense.

I think that's most veteran players around his age.

 

[LittleAlex]

not many 21 year olds are consistent as far as i can tell...

It's not age, it's years in the league that are usually important.

A 22 year old rookie isn't going to be as comfortable as a good 21 year old 3rd year player.

I like Nic. I want him to succeed.

But not even matching Sean Marks stats in a game given 3 times the minutes is an absolutely horrible sign.
Then to follow that up with an even worse performance.

This is the year he should be blowing up.
Instead he is fading.

I would love to believe it's the coach holding him back.
But I am afraid that the only thing holding Batum back from being the player I would like him to be is Batum himself.

Which just plain sucks.

However, Batum makes almost no money at all.
Even if he was a valuable trading piece he would have to be part of a mult-player deal to bring back even moderate value.

That's why he most likely won't get traded. His performance to dollar ratio is pretty good.

 

[Minstrel]

I think in general fans tend to overstate the extent of "being in a rebuilding phase" or "being in a go-for-it phase" as though they're entirely distinct with clear (and different) mandates in each case. I think the goal of pretty much every front office is (and should be) taking the talent on hand and improving it. Yes, there are some considerations given to where in the competition cycle you are, how much short-term gain you want versus how much long-term gain...but I think those considerations are usually a lot smaller than popularly conceived.

In light of that, I don't think blowing it up (or tearing it down, depending on the metaphor you prefer for an extreme, long-term make-over) is really an option being considered. I think that Cho will first see where Roy is, what his perhaps new level of play is and then determine what moves make the team better from here. Not from a torn-down-to-the-foundations base in a couple of years.

As things stand right now, Portland is a mediocre team that might squeak into the playoffs if things broke their way. In my opinion, history shows that that is closer to a championship-caliber team than a team with some cap space, a top lottery pick and little to no talent. Teams rarely jump from terrible to great in one off-season, or even two, from adding superstars via free agency or draft picks.

I think Portland will probably start from the foundation they already have (Aldridge, Batum, whatever Roy proves to be) and build from there. They may deal older players in recognition that they are now further from title contention than they seemed to be a few months ago, but I don't think there is going to be a "tear it down" (rebuild) or "status quo" (win now) debate internally. I think business proceeds as usual: make any trade that makes the team better, reject any trade that doesn't.

 

[Drttimmy]

An outsider's POV, if you don't mind.

So the Blazers move Camby to the bench and start Joel again and all of a sudden the Blazers are a bit improved version of the team in years' past (minus Oden). You don't have that Blake guy that fans didn't really like, you have Miller who's an upgrade. Otherwise the starters are the same group that could realistically go on a tear and win 10 straight; they've done it before.

I don't see a need to blow up the team, just a little retooling would go a long way. If the season is a lost one, take advantage of it by putting the ball back in Roy's hands and get the ball to Batum as much as possible so he can develop.

I don't think this is possible. For all our warts, the team 2 years ago and even last year, was pretty well balanced. It had an identity and guys knew their roles. This current version seems in disarray, with half the roster better suited for up-tempo play and the aging star relegated to strictly being a slow paced player. We don't have the rebounders and shooters to be a dangerous halfcourt team, and worse, we dont have an elite playmaker anymore. So, we could commit to being more up-tempo, but that's also a face this team has never been. Who knows how it would play out. Plus, your alienate your best player. I think we're screwed.

 

[Denny Crane]

I don't think this is possible. For all our warts, the team 2 years ago and even last year, was pretty well balanced. It had an identity and guys knew their roles. This current version seems in disarray, with half the roster better suited for up-tempo play and the aging star relegated to strictly being a slow paced player. We don't have the rebounders and shooters to be a dangerous halfcourt team, and worse, we dont have an elite playmaker anymore. So, we could commit to being more up-tempo, but that's also a face this team has never been. Who knows how it would play out. Plus, your alienate your best player. I think we're screwed.

How am I alienating your best player by suggesting they put the ball in his hands and run plays through him?

 

[Drttimmy]

How am I alienating your best player by suggesting they put the ball in his hands and run plays through him?

It was a continuation of thought if the team commits to playing faster paced. If that happens, Roy wouldn't have the ball in his hands as much. Maybe I should have broken up the paragraph, so it was more clear.

If they do like you suggest, imo it plays out like the first part of my post stated. Or like how the last 3 games have produced since Roy returned and the pace has slowed.